President Pranab Mukherjee honours Anup Prasad Yadav from Bihar during the presentation of National Awards to teachers at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI)

Chief miniaster Jitan Ram Manjhi honours a teacher at the function organised by the education department at SK Memorial Hall on Friday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

A pin drop would have sounded like a thud if Teacher’s Day celebration at St Xavier’s High School was anything to go by. Reason: Students were glued to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech meant for them on the occasion.

Around 500 children were witnessing the first-ever initiative by an Indian Prime Minister to interact with school students across the country via video-conference.

A few students had thought they would be able to interact with the PM through videoconference. But to their dismay they were deprived of an opportunity to have a one-on-one with Modi. They were further disappointed when they were not able to hear the questions asked by students of other states because they were occasionally disrupted by the other Teacher’s Day related celebrations on campus.

So, what in Modi attracted children the most?

“His way of speaking with authority and a voice that can convince,” said Shubham Singhal of Class XII.

Modi in his speech had said that he would like to see students of today becoming teachers of tomorrow.

“Yes, I would like to become a teacher,” added Singhal, who was mesmerised by the PM’s speech.

Modi during his interaction, had asked: “Why don’t students of today aim to become teachers? Teachers prepare the kids. They are the hero of a child. Children have always wanted to become like them and dress up like them. Why is there a change in the new generation? Why can’t we instil the desire of becoming teachers among the children despite they being the mentors of various generations?”

Singhal said the Prime Minister was very convincing and that his speech was sure to make an impact.

Krishna Raj, a Class XI commerce student, would now try to sweat four times a day.

“I liked what our PM said. He said we should sweat at least four times. This should be done while playing, running etc. He said we should play a lot and our lives would become better,” Raj said.

Surabhi Kumari of Class XI wanted Modi to visit Patna.

“We could not ask him questions. We should get that opportunity,” she said.

CM slams PM

Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday slammed Modi for “politicising education in the country”.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an education department function, the CM said education should not be politicised. The chief minister said students in Bihar were not supposed to attend the interaction of Modi but later the plan was changed.